Journals of a Gay Vegan: Introspection
PETA
When I first heard of PETA, I thought of it sounded like a nice
organization. "People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals." There
can't be anything wrong with an organization with a name like that.
But then I heard the types of things that they do.
Dressing up like injured rabbits and following around the vice
president to protest his support of animal testing? Never eating meat
or drinking milk? Boycotting Proctor & Gamble? Throwing paint on fur
coats? Protesting Ringling Brothers Circus?
It all seemed just a little bit bizzare. I thought these people were
going too far.
Until I read the stories.
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"A PETA investigator spent three months working incognito at the
Belcross pig-breeding facility and took hours of video footage that
revealed shocking, systematic cruelty to animals, from daily violent
beatings and bludgeonings of pregnant sows with a wrench and iron
pole to workers sawing off a conscious animal's legs and skinning
pigs alive."
http://www.meatstinks.com/pigcase.html |
It didn't take me long to see why most PETA members have stopped
eating meat.
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"November 9, 1998: All male pigs except for HDs (a breed) are
castrated. Kelly demonstrated castration by holding a male pig upside
down by his legs and making two incisions in the scrotum with a
scalpel. He then used his fingers to pull each testicle out. During
these procedures, the pigs were screaming and writhing. When placed
back with their mothers, the pigs continued to cry and shake. Kelly
then gave everyone a pig and we were told to try to process them. I
saw the piglet Elyse had been processing lying dead on the floor in
a pool of blood. They told me that, when Elyse was attempting to
castrate her piglet and pulled out the first testicle, the internal
wall ruptured and the pig�s intestines began spilling out. Kelly
grabbed the pig and smashed his head on the concrete floor, killing
him."
http://www.meatstinks.com/pigcasei.html |
As I read more about why PETA was doing the things it did I began
to understand how very little I knew.
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"In nature, bears don't ride bicycles, elephants don't stand on their
heads, and a tiger would never jump through fire. To force wild
animals to perform unnatural acts, trainers use whips, muzzles,
electric prods, and bullhooks. In their real homes, these animals
would be free to raise their families, forage for food, and play
together. Instead, the circus forces them to perform night after
night, for 48-50 weeks every year. Between acts, elephants are kept
chained and tigers are "stored" in cages with barely enough room to
take one step. Ringling has also invented a "unicorn" by mutilating
a baby goat--surgically moving his horns to the center of his
forehead."
http://www.circuses.com/ringling/ |
I guess I never thought of the circus as been anything but fun for
everyone involved. When I joined PETA I learned about all the
cruelty-free circues. You may not get to see an elephant stand on its
head, but you can have a fun time without bringing pain and suffering
to other creatures.
I soon became amazed at how much PETA did to stop animal suffering.
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"Before meeting their fate as parts of someone�s coat, 3 million foxes,
minks, beavers, and other "farmed" animals are kept in crowded, filthy
wire cages. The animals often develop neurotic behaviors, such as
pacing, turning in endless circles, self-mutilation, and even
cannibalism�behaviors documented in an investigation PETA recently
conducted on an Illinois fur farm. Foxes on this farm lived in filthy
conditions, suffering from diseases and wounds ranging from untreated
upper-respiratory illnesses and cancerous tumors to broken, exposed
bones and inner ear infections. Killing methods commonly used on fur
farms range from neck-breaking and poisoning to anal or genital
electrocution. No federal law exists to protect animals on fur farms."
http://www.furisdead.com/fraud.html |
I understood why they boycotted companies like Proctor and Gamble.
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"Each year, thousands of animals die in Procter & Gamble
laboratories--the victims of painful product tests. . . .
To test products, workers typically force chemicals into rabbits'
eyes and rub them onto animals' shaved and abraded skin. The animals
are forced into restraining devices so they can't escape the pain;
usually they are not sedated or given painkillers. Some animals have
broken their necks or backs trying to escape."
http://www.pginfo.net/facts.html |
And I was pleased to learn that PETA members were making a difference.
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"On June 30, 1999, Procter & Gamble announced that it will end the
use of animal tests for its current beauty, fabric, home care, and
paper products."
http://www.pginfo.net/index2.html |
I may not dress up like a cow and boycott the local rodeo, but by
joining PETA my awareness regarding the suffering of animals has
been increased considerably. I have stopped eating meat. I do make
conscience choices to buy cruelty-free products. I opt out of
disection labs. I no longer go fishing. I've stopped attending
circuses where animals are mistreated. There are a lot of people
who think I'm crazy, but that's okay. By living out what I believe,
I am making a small change. Every day more and more people are
listening to their conscience and doing what they can to end the
suffering and cruelty that is inflicted on animals across the world.
Take a look at PETA's web site and consider supporting this
great organization.
http://www.peta.com
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